E-Newsletter

Showcase Event at Daikyoji Temple and Shibamata Temple Shopping District

On October 10, 2019, The Tokyo Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (TCVB) organized and held another “TOKYO Unique Venue Showcase Event” in downtown Shibamata in Katsushika Ward. Event guests were able to experience two unique venues in one tour, starting with the charming atmosphere of the Shibamata Temple Shopping District, followed by the nearby Daikyoji Temple. About 140 guests attended the event, including representatives from MICE-related organizations, foreign embassies in Tokyo and foreign-affiliated companies.

Daikyoji Temple was illuminated in deep shades of blue and red, creating a breathtaking atmosphere. Meanwhile, about 25 stores in the Shibamata Temple Shopping District offered their support by crafting special menus specifically for the showcase event, including bite-sized sweets, crispy tempura, and health-conscious macrobiotic dishes, all of which incorporated Shibamata’s local flavors. The excellent service provided by the shops left an excellent impression on all of the attendees. “The convenient layout of the shops, the bite-sized dishes, and the genuine warmth shown by each shop’s staff were excellent”, remarked one guest enthusiastically.

Evaluations from the participants as a whole were also overwhelmingly positive. “The Daikyoji Temple illumination was wonderful,” one person commented, while another was touched by the human kindness on display during the event, saying, “I thought the spirit of cooperation among the staff was remarkable.”

Despite a brief spell of rain later on in the evening, the participants enjoyed an entertaining night of delicious food, fine entertainment, and warm company.

For more information on unique venues, please visit: https://tokyouniquevenues.jp/ or contact Tokyo Unique Venues

Tokyo Welcomes International Association Meetings

Recently, Tokyo successfully hosted two international gatherings: The 17th International Myopia Conference and the annual congress of the Federation of Asia Small Animal Veterinary Associations (FASAVA 2019 Congress).

The 17th International Myopia Conference was held at the Akio Suzuki Memorial Hall of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University from September 12 to September 15, and attracted 870 specialists, both locally based and internationally renowned.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) provided specially tailored complimentary programs that allowed busy convention participants to tour some of Tokyo’s must-see destinations after each day’s proceedings had drawn to a close. Specifically, the night view tours went to the Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest freestanding broadcasting tower; and the Tokyo City View observatory at Roppongi Hills cultural complex, which offered participants a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the thousands of lights which illuminate the city every night. The tour concluded with a scenic drive past two of Tokyo’s great bridges: Tokyo Gate Bridge and Tokyo Rainbow Bridge. The spectacular illuminated bridges were a big hit with the participants, as was the tour as a whole.

The FASAVA 2019 Congress and the 21st Japanese Board of Veterinary Practitioners (JBVP) Annual Meeting 2019 were jointly held at Hotel New Otani Tokyo from September 25 to September 29 and attracted more than 5,200 participants.
Amidst the busy schedule of the FASAVA congress, the TMG and the TCVB provided participants with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japan’s unique culture through an Awaodori Dance performance during the Japanese Night portion. Meanwhile the calligraphy program gave participants the opportunity to watch a calligraphy master write their choice kanji characters; particularly popular ones included “medicine,” “dog,” and “cat”. In addition, participants’ names were hand-written in katakana characters on commemorative tote bags, which congress participants were delighted to take home with them.

Unique Activities at a Historic Tokyo Temple

The TCVB welcomed corporate meeting planners from overseas twice this summer, once in July and again in August, to participate in educational trips that introduced new and charming aspects of Tokyo.

This educational trip for meeting planners included participants from East and Southeast Asia with high repeat rates for holding corporate events in Tokyo. The group was shown Jindaiji Temple, where its members had the opportunity to paint Daruma dolls and make their own soba noodles, as just an example of the new and unique experiences Tokyo has to offer.

After hearing an explanation from one of the temple priests about the history and facilities of Jindaiji Temple, the group were shown the Goma fire ritual. Next, the group watched as the priest painted a Sanskrit letter into the left eye of a Daruma doll. This rare display of artisanship was performed specially for the educational trip. The dolls used were Tokyo-produced Tama Daruma, which are believed to bring good fortune in business among the people of Tokyo. In addition, the participants were able to try their hand at making their own soba noodles for lunch; a seemingly simple task with a surprisingly rich history and an eye-opening level of technique required.

The TCVB will continue to promote Tokyo as a location for business events, while also striving to develop even more exciting programs unique to the city.

For more information, please see our website.

Tokyo to Host SIGGRAPH Asia Again in 2021

The TCVB is delighted to announce that Tokyo has placed the winning bid to host the 14th ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia (SIGGRAPH Asia 2021), at the Tokyo International Forum on December 14 - 17, 2021.

SIGGRAPH Asia started in 2008 and has been held in Japan three times during its 11-year history: in Yokohama in 2009, Kobe in 2015, and Tokyo in 2018. SIGGRAPH Asia 2021, the fourth such gathering in Japan, will be held at the Tokyo International Forum (TIF), the capital’s leading conference facility, and is expected to attract over 10,000 participants from more than 50 countries.

The deciding factor for Tokyo winning the bid was the tremendous success of the Tokyo-hosted SIGGRAPH Asia in December 2018. Held at the TIF, the gathering attracted 9,735 industry-related participants from 59 countries and regions, and was supported by 118 exhibitors and sponsors. These were record-breaking numbers in the history of the prestigious conference and exhibition.

For more information, please click here.

Tokyo to Host the 7th Asian and Oceanian Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress (AOPMC)

The TCVB is delighted to announce that Tokyo has placed the winning bid to host the 7th Asian and Oceanian Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress (AOPMC), at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba on March 18 - 20, 2021. AOPMC 2021, the second such gathering to be held in Japan, is expected to include research presentations regarding future breakthroughs in Parkinson disease and other movement disorder research, and to attract over 1,200 specialists from more than 30 countries.

Tokyo’s resounding success in the AOPMC 2021 bid process would not have been possible without the strong leadership and steadfast commitment of the Japan Bid Committee, its chair Professor Nobutaka Hattori, and all of its members. The TCVB also played a major role, bringing its considerable experience to bear to help the Tokyo Bid Committee prepare its bid proposal and presentation materials. Finally, a generous subsidy from the TMG to provide financial and in-kind support for the convention was also an important factor in the decision.

For more information, please click here.

Applications Are Still Open for the Tokyo Educational Trip 2019-2020

The TCVB Business Events Team is currently offering invitations to international association executives and core PCOs who are involved in the site selection process for international association meetings, to participate in the hosted buyers’ program “Tokyo Educational Trip 2019-2020”.
This program is a great opportunity to visit convention facilities, reception venues and tourist spots, and also to meet local suppliers and learn about Tokyo as a meeting destination. This four-night and six-day program can be tailored to suit the needs of individual guests, allowing for flexible dates. Please note that the number of available spots is limited.

For more information, please see the links below or contact: businessevents@tcvb.or.jp

For association executives

For core PCOs

Accolades:

The Safest City in the World, Yet Again

Tokyo is the safest city in the world yet again, according to the newly released Economist Intelligence Unit Safe Cities Index 2019.

With an overall score of 92.0 out of a possible 100, Tokyo’s top spot is credited in part to the city’s high scores in digital security.

For more information: https://safecities.economist.com/safe-cities-index-2019/